RE: Ginetta G55 Hits The Racetrack
Friday 4th March 2011
The new Ginetta G55 racing car has undergone its first test at Silverstone National.
"The G50 has dominated GT4 since its launch 2 years ago and proved itself as a real stepping stone into the GT4 arena. By introducing the G55 into the new Ginetta GT Supercup, I want to broaden Ginetta's offering to all drivers expanding our career ladder even further and offering a route into GT3 - whilst still providing an affordable way to enjoy top level racing," says Ginetta boss Lawrence Tomlinson.
Ginetta G55 Hits The Racetrack
Silverstone shakedown for new British GT machine
Boasting a 3.7 litre Ford engine, Hewland gearbox, cool air induction kit, up-rated front and rear brakes, new exhaust system and stunning new bodywork with improved aerodynamics, the retail price has been set at £75,000 - hopefully making the G55 a cost-effective stepping stone into GT3 racing, the company says.
Teams running the current Ginetta G50, which has won multiple GT4 championships worldwide, will be able to upgrade their existing car to the new G55 for £25,000 or take advantage of a new part-exchange system.
The first customer cars will be delivered in two weeks' time, we're told, but sadly there are no plans to produce a road-going version of Ginetta's latest machine.
Discussion
While I do like Ginetta. I find it disappointing that Ginettas cars never end up as road cars. It adds something to the racing when you see a car (visually) like the one that passed you on the motorway at 1000leptons on the way to the circuit, dicing with one you saw last week.
Should be good fun to watch the Ginettas on the BTCC weekends again though.
Should be good fun to watch the Ginettas on the BTCC weekends again though.
Im sure that the G50 was offered as a road car and is perhaps still available as a road car. I know Ive seen a couple in paddocks around the UK - most probably Ginettas own cars. However it requires people to come up with circa 60-70k of their own money which has been difficult recently not to mention for a low volume manaufacturer.
Fantastic work with the racecars though.
Fantastic work with the racecars though.
Not quite sure how it can be a GT racer without any road cars.. Having had a close look at them though they would be more of a track day road car than a daily driver without a lot of mods.
imho there should at least be some road cars possibly based on the size of the company.
cracking looking car though, and there is certainly a fantastic number of g50's racing.
imho there should at least be some road cars possibly based on the size of the company.
cracking looking car though, and there is certainly a fantastic number of g50's racing.
Obiwonkeyblokey said:
Im sure that the G50 was offered as a road car and is perhaps still available as a road car. I know Ive seen a couple in paddocks around the UK - most probably Ginettas own cars. However it requires people to come up with circa 60-70k of their own money which has been difficult recently not to mention for a low volume manaufacturer.
Fantastic work with the racecars though.
Hmmm, I have seen "factory prototype roadcars" on display in paddocks of various race tracks but I have never seen one driven on the road (not even to and from said race paddocks!) & I don't remember seeing any road tests by the usual magazines.Fantastic work with the racecars though.
I think the G50/ G55 etc are fantastic cars but its a bit of a scam IMHO to race them in British / European GT4 etc when you can't buy a genuine road car version. (same is true of the Mosler & Ascari, I suppose, although I do think a very small number of road cars may have been built)
Tomlinson has certainly transformed the company since he took over, but the 'road car' has still not materialised.
A 30k road car would sell very well imo. So still a way to go to match the original idea of the Walkletts genuine road cum race cars. But then it's a different era. The F400 (ex Farbio now owned by Ginetta is of course a road car, but £90k?)
The E-type celebrates its 50th anniverary this year...
so does the gorgeous curvaceous Ginetta G4 and you can still have one today.
The G4 was a genuine road race car which could embarrass much more powerful machinery and still does.
The shape is simply timeless.
A 30k road car would sell very well imo. So still a way to go to match the original idea of the Walkletts genuine road cum race cars. But then it's a different era. The F400 (ex Farbio now owned by Ginetta is of course a road car, but £90k?)
The E-type celebrates its 50th anniverary this year...
so does the gorgeous curvaceous Ginetta G4 and you can still have one today.
The G4 was a genuine road race car which could embarrass much more powerful machinery and still does.
The shape is simply timeless.
Edited by dandarez on Friday 4th March 11:17
dandarez said:
Tomlinson has certainly transformed the company since he took over, but the 'road car' has still not materialised.
A 30k car would sell very well imo. So still a way to go to match the original idea of the Walkletts genuine road cum race cars. But then it's a different era.
I doubt a G50 could be done for £30K but a G40 could (is?). I do think that a basic version of the G50 could sell, though - sort of Elise standard of fittings. IMO TVR faild because they started getting too ambitious & tried to take Porsche & Ferrari on but didn't have the investment/ skills to do top quality interiors & trim etc.A 30k car would sell very well imo. So still a way to go to match the original idea of the Walkletts genuine road cum race cars. But then it's a different era.
andy97 said:
dandarez said:
Tomlinson has certainly transformed the company since he took over, but the 'road car' has still not materialised.
A 30k car would sell very well imo. So still a way to go to match the original idea of the Walkletts genuine road cum race cars. But then it's a different era.
I doubt a G50 could be done for £30K but a G40 could (is?). I do think that a basic version of the G50 could sell, though - sort of Elise standard of fittings. IMO TVR faild because they started getting too ambitious & tried to take Porsche & Ferrari on but didn't have the investment/ skills to do top quality interiors & trim etc.A 30k car would sell very well imo. So still a way to go to match the original idea of the Walkletts genuine road cum race cars. But then it's a different era.
To the best of my knowledge, this prototype is the nearest thing to a G40 road car. I am unaware of the G50 being homologated for road use in any respect, which rather makes me wonder how it's been running in GT4 for so long. I can only presume the drivetrain is homologated and SRO need GT4 cars like Bernie needs an end to civil unrest in the Middle East:
The F400 is in limited supply, but this is LNT's personal transport. As well as at the factory, I also saw this car at the Autosport 1,000kms at Silverstone last year.
I support Ginetta's racing endeavours and am delighted to see cost-effective and tidy-looking racing cars produced in Yorkshire, using British supply chain principles. However, without a line-up of road cars, like Marcus Pye, I struggle to wholly buy into the GT racing claims.
The F400 is in limited supply, but this is LNT's personal transport. As well as at the factory, I also saw this car at the Autosport 1,000kms at Silverstone last year.
I support Ginetta's racing endeavours and am delighted to see cost-effective and tidy-looking racing cars produced in Yorkshire, using British supply chain principles. However, without a line-up of road cars, like Marcus Pye, I struggle to wholly buy into the GT racing claims.
It's great to see Ginetta sticking to what they know best and carving a niche with their development of race machines, at a time of great economic uncertainty.
You don't have to make road going cars to be a success in the British automotive industry, and I fear that if they had ploughed a fortune in to the research and development of road cars they probably wouldn't be here today.
You don't have to make road going cars to be a success in the British automotive industry, and I fear that if they had ploughed a fortune in to the research and development of road cars they probably wouldn't be here today.
The G50 races in GT4 through a reg that allows one make racers (not the only car that is allowed through this route)
LNT told me in January that the first batch of roadgoing G40s were in prep but would come after 2011 race car orders were fulfilled
The F400 is in limited production in Leeds
LNT told me in January that the first batch of roadgoing G40s were in prep but would come after 2011 race car orders were fulfilled
The F400 is in limited production in Leeds
jayfish said:
Lovely looking thing and that really does look like a number plate 'hole' in the rear, maybe in the future...
I doubt it. As mentioned above the development costs to turn it in to anything other than a trackday special would be to much to make it profitable.I want to see them on the road. But I can also see why I don't.
Munter said:
jayfish said:
Lovely looking thing and that really does look like a number plate 'hole' in the rear, maybe in the future...
I doubt it. As mentioned above the development costs to turn it in to anything other than a trackday special would be to much to make it profitable.I want to see them on the road. But I can also see why I don't.
--edit--
"GinettaCars Ginetta
We are testing the G55 today at Donington park. Dry weather for a change...bonus!"
--edit--
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MTysVXFg9M
Edited by Stew2000 on Friday 4th March 14:31
GrahamG said:
The G50 races in GT4 through a reg that allows one make racers (not the only car that is allowed through this route)
LNT told me in January that the first batch of roadgoing G40s were in prep but would come after 2011 race car orders were fulfilled
The F400 is in limited production in Leeds
I had a similar conversation with Lawerence last year and he said the G40 is a road car, you just have to register it yourself and pass the SVA for it. Though I have noticed the indicator switch gear has only just been built by Ginetta for the start of the race season this year - so I guess now they have that they are one step closer to a road version.LNT told me in January that the first batch of roadgoing G40s were in prep but would come after 2011 race car orders were fulfilled
The F400 is in limited production in Leeds
But you are going to have to live with the race car interior design it seems.
Ginetta have been promising a road version of the G40 for a while now but it's never materialised. It's such a pretty car I think it would sell like hot cakes but if the idea is to buy a race version and get it SVA'd then the price would have to reflect that hassle.
As to the G55 I'm really looking forward to seeing that run and what lap times it achieves compared both to the G50 and the Porsche Carrera Cup cars. That's what will determine whether its good value for money or not because an extra £25k on top of the G50 price is a lot of pennies per extra horsepower.
As to the G55 I'm really looking forward to seeing that run and what lap times it achieves compared both to the G50 and the Porsche Carrera Cup cars. That's what will determine whether its good value for money or not because an extra £25k on top of the G50 price is a lot of pennies per extra horsepower.
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